This mine open for visitors is in the Erzgebirge-Krušnohoří World Heritage Site on the border of Germany and Czechia. Silver was discovered near Freiburg in 1168 and mining continued until the 1990s.The Markus Röhling mine began to work in the sixteenth century. Its biggest ore deposit was found in 1733 and it produced large quantities of silver and cobalt ore until 1857. The mine was redeveloped in 1948 for uranium but it failed in 1953. Since 1994, part of the mine has been accessible for the public. Equipped with helmets, visitors travel for 600 m along one of the tunnels through solid rock on an electric train of around 1950. From the earlier era of silver mining, a wooden water wheel 9-m in diameter has been recreated, which would have pumped water from the lower levels of the mine. Other operational machines are used for demonstrations. The underground engine room is used for events, including the ‘Mettenschichten’, a traditional Christmas celebration for miners and their families. Audio guides are in German, English, French and Czech.
Markus Röhling Visitor Mine
Sehmatalstraße 15
09456 Annaberg-Buchholz
Germany
+49 (0) 3733 - 52979
Homepage